


Fix the Broken Inside

by MissCallaLilly



Category: Terra Nova (TV)
Genre: CPL Dunham, CPL Foster, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 17:34:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14477751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissCallaLilly/pseuds/MissCallaLilly
Summary: Lots of Fan Fiction has been written for Terra Nova, showing this Character in a less than appealing light. but what of his story, his journey back and his true inner self....how will he recover from the death of his friend...how will he recover himself.....This is set after the last season of the TV show, with Lt. Washington still with us (of course) and Lucas still out there in the wilds..DISCLAIMER - I do not own any rights to the TV Show, TERRA NOVA or the orginal characters; just my own additions, and of course, Henry





	1. Insomnia and a digital clock

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy and please review........

Click, the counter arm flipped over - 2:15 am. 

The night air was soft, warm and fragrant from the flowering bushes outside the window. Stirred only by an occasional breeze and the muted cries of the nocturnal wildlife, the night air spilled into the room. The curtains at the open window fluttered when caught by the wind, the only movement in the darkened room. The figure on the bed did not move, except for the eyes which would flicker from the ceiling to the window curtains and then back to the red digital numbers on the alarm clock across the room. 

Click, the counter arm flipped over - 2:30 am. 

There was a slight huff of exasperation from the occupant of the bed. Still no sleep and it appears not the slightest chance of it tonight. Once again, his weary brain told him. Every night was the same now. After working ten, sometimes sixteen hours a shift, his body and brain exhausted, he would fall into bed, and immediately drop into a deep sleep. The problem was the sleep only last for about three hours before the nightmares would start. Never the same dream, but always the same person. And the blood, and the screams that had him jerking awake, his body covered in sweat, his own screams hovering in the night air. Which was worse, no sleep - or the nightmares that haunted him. Inhale - slow, deep breath. Hold it for a count of ten; relax the body, breath out slow. NOTHING.... Just a bone-deep exhaustion.... “I need sleep, I know this. I know this because I am talking to myself.” Eyes slid to the alarm clock again. 

Click, the counter arm flipped over - 2:45 am. 

“That’s it!” With a quick motion, his feet were over the side of the bed. Pulling his shirt over his head and balling it up, he tossed it with a curse into the corner as he headed for the bathroom. 

Turning on the shower spray, he kicked out of his sweats, gritted his teeth and stepped into the cold water. He forced himself to turn slowly, taking the brunt of the spray on his back, and then rotated several times until he was completely soaked. Teeth chattering, he turned the water over to hot and stood there until the chattering stopped. He stepped out, grabbing a towel and began to dry off. The motion of his reflection in the bathroom mirror caught his attention, but he refused to turn. Instead, he tilted his head downward as he continued his task. As he finished, he paused, towel in hand. It was a ritual for him, since rejoining the colony. Facing himself in the mirror, trying to dig inside himself, to find what was so broken, or corrupt, that would cause him to....... Knowing what he had to do to get through the day, he took a deep breath to steady himself, set his jaw and raised his head. 

“Well crap!!” The bathroom mirror was fogged over. Shaking his head in disgust, he wiped the condensation from the mirror with his towel. Dark eyes stared back at him, haunted and exhausted. Black hair clipped military short, tanned skin with a decided gray pallor from lack of sleep. Almost of its own accord, his right hand stretched out to the mirror, to his reflection. The trembling hand in the mirror caught his attention, he stopped and looked down, surprised, almost fascinated by the trembling. Taking a shaky breath, he closed his hand into a fist, and released the breath he had unknowingly been holding. “ I have got to get a grip” he muttered. His mind ran over his schedule for the day, today was his off day, down time. No one needed him to fill in, no one needed a day off. Commander Taylor had already addressed the issue of his work schedule, or rather the over work, and actually ordered him to have time scheduled off. 

Twenty four hours of emptiness ahead to fill. Physical limbo, as his mind was already starting down the dark road, Foster’s face flashing through his memories, smiling and laughing at a prank they had pulled on Dunham, grimacing in disgust when on latrine cleanup detail after Lt Washington caught them plotting their next prank, and the concentration and alertness when they were on patrol. Those were before... Before the gambling, and the “woman” Foster became involved with, and the money. Curran swayed slightly and grabbed the side of the sink, head hanging as self loathing rose up in a sudden swell. 

And don’t forget, some evil little voice whispered ….The surprise on Foster’s face, when Curran had offered to swap shifts with Foster, after only the day before refusing. After another argument about the money that was owed, and Foster’s threats to go to Commander Taylor. About the money, and the gambling. Now, in hindsight, Curran couldn’t understand why he just didn’t tell Foster to go ahead. He was just as deep into it as Curran and the other soldiers. A six week, or even longer trip OTG to some far off outpost would be most welcome now. He raised his head, staring at his reflection again. Foster’s laughing voice surfaced once again, back before their troubles started. 

“ Damn Timmy boy, why do you keep making the same mistake with the women?” Curran was still rubbing the side of his face, red and stinging from the slap that the pissed off red-headed female just delivered. Foster was chuckling and shaking his head. Despite just getting the bejesus slapped out of him, Curran was watching the fiery red-head stomp away through the bar, a look of appreciation on his face at the curvy backside. Curran drug his eyes back to Foster, puzzled. “What do you mean, problem? I just had one of the best weeks of my life with , uh with Brenda.” 

Foster, lifted his glass with a chuckle, “Tim, her name is Belinda. Brenda was the one with the short black hair, 3 weeks ago.” Curran grinned, “Hey good times all around.” Foster looked at him with a suddenly somber look. “And the next one is? Tim, my man, you are seriously in denial. And running out of females to play with. We aren’t exactly flowing with a lot of choices, and you can’t even get some of your ladies to walk pass you, much less talk to you, afterwards.” Foster took another drink from his glass, as Curran just stared at him open-mouthed. 

“Foster, man, are you okay?” Curran lifted his shoulders in a shrug, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Foster looked at him over his glass, and Curran could see he wanted to say more. Foster set the glass down, cupping his hands around it, as he pondered whether to say anything else. Curran waited, suddenly somber and sober. Foster nodded, “You’re right, If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Then he hesitated. Curran, sighed, “There’s But... right?” Foster grinned at his friend, “ But if it is broke, you have to fix the broke from inside.” 

Curran stared at him, confused. “What the hell does that suppose to mean?” Foster shrugged, and chuckled, “Just something my grandpa used to say. I never understood it either at the time.” “You mean you do now?,” Curran asked. Foster smiled, as he emptied his glass. Setting it down he motioned to the waiter for refills. “Yes, thanks to you, Buddy, I do now.” Curran burst into laughter. 

As the memory faded, determination settled on his face. “I understand now Foster, my friend. “

Click, the counter arm flipped over - 3:00 am. Coming out of the bathroom, short black hair wet, he pulled on running shorts, t shirt and shoes, ensuring his ID tags where around his neck. He headed out the door, going for a run, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Physical exercise, hopefully physical exhaustion this way. Maybe he could catch some sleep later. At the door, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at the clock.

Click, the counter arm flipped over - 3:02 am. 

He stopped, glaring at the alarm clock, as if it was the sole cause of his sleeplessness. A small glint of mischievousness appeared in his eyes, the first real emotion he had felt in, well since he couldn’t remember. He yanked the cord from the wall, rolled it around the clock, and without looking, tossed it over his shoulder, where it hit the rim of the trash basket, and toppled in with a satisfying thump. As Curran shut the door behind him, and took off at a slow trot, the smile took over.

Click that, he smirked.


	2. Reminiscing and Henry

His feet striking the ground barely made a sound, as he covered the running trail that followed the fence line that surrounded Terra Nova. Sweat soaked through his shirt, and ran down the sides of his face and neck. Alternating between a steady, ground eating pace, and sprints that tested his endurance, Tim kept his focus on the path in front of him. 

So far, the only people he had seen were the night patrols going about their duties. They gave him either a nod of acknowledgement or a wave as he passed. A quick glance at the lightening color of the sky told him dawn was fast approaching. Two more clicks passed, and he noticed others runners, singles and pairs, were starting to appear and head off down the path in different directions.

Ever since the Eleventh Pilgrimage and the ensuing battle with The Phoenix Group had finished, ending with Commander Taylor re-taking Terra Nova, Curran had been constantly working on regaining his Commander's trust and approval. He was working longer hours, and training harder. And he was staying out of Boylan's bar, which was a start at building the new Tim Curran. 

The new Private Tim Curran. Commander Taylor had taken his rank, busted all the way back to Private, but Tim understood the reasoning. He was getting a chance to start his life over, and he wasn't going to mess it up this time. His off time was being spent at the range, in the motor pool, and in the gym and getting back in synch with his fellow military members. 

Of all the soldiers, SGT Reynolds was one of the more accepting of his return into the military, along with CPL Dunham, CPL Jenkins, and SGT Riley. After work, Curran and Reynolds would spent time in the ring sparring and talking about upcoming training or trips scheduled for OTG. Otherwise, he was at the small house that he occupied by himself.

Recently, while sparring in the ring, and at other times, he would find Reynolds's steady gaze on him, patient and waiting. After three days of that bright, blue gaze focused on him, Curran finally came to a decision. Tim was already standing outside the ring, wrapping the tape around his hands, when Reynolds entered the gym. It was late in the evening, about 10 pm, and Reynolds had been on the range all day, dealing with the newbies and other soldiers annual weapons qualifications. 

Curran had been one of the first ones through the qualifications that morning, and has aced all of them. Reynolds had given him a proud nod, "Congratulations, Curran. You made expert on all of the weapons with 97 %, except for the knives. But 95% isn't bad. Good job." 

In the past, Curran had been content to just past and qualify. Reynolds' praise made him proud, and determined to keep it up. "Thank you Sergeant Reynolds."  
Now he grinned at Curran, and headed to the locker room, "I'll be right back. Just changing out of my boots." His eyes on the floor, Tim just nodded, "Okay."   
Reynolds stopped and looked back. "Are you alright? Tim?" Mark walked back to the boxing ring. Tim shifted his feet, and was fidgeting with the wraps on his hands. He took a deep breath, and looked up. "Mark, I've put this off too long. I need to talk to you, to try to explain…to talk," his voice faded and choked. He took a deep, shaky breath and tried again. "About Ken. I need to explain…." His voice faded out again. 

Mark's face paled slightly and his jaw tightened. They were alone in the gym, but there was a sudden silence that fell like a thick blanket in the room. Tim took a deep breath and tried again. "You know, when we first got here, you, me, Ken, Brady, Riley, we were really close, and excited, and, well scared spit less. At least I was," Tim gave a weak chuckle that sort of wobbled at the end, and rubbed his hand over his face.

"I mean, Commander Taylor and Lt Washington handpicked us for this. We were, no, we are good at what we do, young and stupid, definitely young and stupid at times." He fell silent again, staring at his feet, his fists clenched. "Really stupid, at times," he spit out, self-loathing in his voice.

Mark took a deep breath, "Tim, if you aren't ready …. Don't feel like you have to do this now. I'm glad you want to do this, but. ." 

Tim shook his head, "No I have to, I wanted to talk to you first. I need to talk to someone about it, because honestly, I am still trying to understand myself. I still can't believe what I did. I keep seeing his face, and I, I will live with this for the rest of my life. ."

His voice broken and shaking, Tim leaned back against the sparring ring, "Commander Taylor hasn't pushed it either, but he has more pressing matters on his plate right now, and Lt Washington and Shannon, both of them scare the crap out of me. Lt Guzman and Brady are gone OTG to the Southern continent for another month and Riley, well she is not… No, I'm not sure I want to talk to her about this yet." His voice trailed off, as his eyes stung and his vision blurred as the tears came. Mark waited quietly for Tim to regain his composure, his own heart pounding.

Tim took a deep breath, and rubbed at his face. "First thing, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for screwing up and getting so far off course from what we are here to do. I'm sorry for screwing up our friendship. I'm sorry for being a jerk. I'm sorry for the gambling. I'm sorry for the lying. I'm sorry for being….just…." his voice trailed off into a whisper, which choked at the end.

"Ken, oh God, Ken, I'm so sorry buddy…." his voice broke, and as the tears came, he slid down to the floor. His shoulders shook, as he gave in to the darkest, the grief and the pain that he had been holding at bay for so long. His cries echoed off the empty walls, making them sound even more painful and haunted. Mark walked slowly over to the towel cubby, and grabbed a couple of towels and a bottle of water before he returned to the sparring ring. He hunched down near Tim, trying to give him some time to work though the grief, and just waited. Quietly.

Slowly, the cries faded and Curran's shoulders, bent forwarded as he rested his forearms on his knees, his head on his chest. Mark slid down next to Curran, and draped one of the towels over his arms and set the water on the floor next to him. And he waited.

Tim slowly regained his composure, his breathing changing from short and choppy to slow and deep. With a deep sigh, he took the towel and wiped his face, turning his head towards Mark. "Thanks." Reynolds set with his knees up, forearms resting on top of them as he studied a dark spot on the floor. "No problem." Tim sighed, and took a long drink from the water bottle, surprised that he felt so drained, and yet somehow lighter.

"That's the first time I have cried about anything since I was five years old. That was the last time I cried. My parents and my sister all died from the Desert Flu that hit San Antonio back in 2127."

Tim glanced over at Mark's bowed head. "I am truly sorry, Reynolds. I wanted to talk to you, and try to explain, but I don't even know when it went from being a fun night at Boylan's blowing off steam, to just being so caught up in the drama. And then the frustration of never been caught up enough to pay Foster and the others, and …"

Mark's head snapped up, "The others?"

Curran winced, "Yea, others. I did tell Commander Taylor, when I first came back that is, I informed him that there was a gambling racket going on and that it wasn't just friendly wagers, but serious stuff. And I know for a fact that Boylan wasn't even aware of the levels some of the guys were sinking too. I know he and Lt Washington have already, huh, chatted with Boylan. Bet that was interesting" he paused and shuddered at that thought. 

A huge yawn broke through, and he grinned sheepishly as Mark chuckled. "Sorry, I haven't been sleeping at all, the nightmares are...gruesome and..." he paused. "Actually, I had planned to go talk to Lt. Guzman, but I back out." 

Mark looked at curiously, "Guzman?" Curran nodded, "Yea, I really didn't want to go to Lt Washington, she would have ... well, let’s just said I am not that brave and I wanted to keep my hide in one piece. I would probably still been running laps around Terra Nova." They both smiled weakly.

"Anyway, I meant to talk to Lt. Guzman and then he left with the Science expedition, and Brady went with him. Then the Sixers started acting up. Foster was putting on more pressure, and my dumb ass just panicked. I even thought about talking to you at that point."

Mark looked start led at that confession. Curran nodded, "Yea, seriously. I know I was always busting your chops, but just so you know, almost all the soldiers here really look up to you, whether they admit it or not. They know you are serious about your job, you are honest to a fault, and you are loyal. And after the Commander, Lt Washington and Guzman, and maybe Shannon, you are really high up on the role model list. And well, lately maybe Sgt. Carter," Curran shook his head. "I really meant to talk to you about all this, and explain, but how can I explain what I don't understand. Mark, how the hell did I let this happen?" He held his hands out in front of him, still wrapped in the exercise tape. There was a noticeable tremor in both hands.

Reynolds glanced at him, noting the pallor under Tim's skin and the empty darkness in his eyes.

"Tim, we'll get there." Curran looked up, his brown eyes questioning.. "I lost one friend, I'm not losing another. It will take time, to work your way through the grief, and forgiving yourself. Then, and only then, you can start with the rest of your life, including your friends. Foster was in this as deep as you, maybe more so from what you have told me," Mark grinned at him, and nudged his shoulder, "Besides, I like this new serious you, especially the part that keeps putting your butt back in the ring with me." 

He smirked at Tim, and then grew serious again. "It takes time, buddy. You have a good start now, and we'll go from here." Mark glanced at the clock on the wall. "We'll talk more, and I can't promise you that I won't get angry, or upset or sad, but we will get through it." Mark stuck out his hand. "Deal?" 

"Deal, and Reynolds, thanks. I won't let you down." Curran grasped his hand, and he glanced at the clock, too. 11:00 pm.

"You in a hurry to be somewhere, Reynolds?" Curran grinned and chuckled at the look on Reynolds face.

"Yea, and I'll see you tomorrow morning for patrol. 6:00 am sharp. Smart ass", Reynolds shot back as he grabbed his gear and headed out the door, leaving Curran chuckling on the floor.

Curran lifted his head and glanced around, he had circled the military housing area again. He tucked his head down, and kept on going for another lap.  
While he had been in the Sixer encampment, he had been treated with suspicion and distrust from Mira and Carter, at first. But after intense questioning from the pair, along with Curran's bitter attitude towards Commander Taylor at the time, the camp slowly accepted his presence. Not one of them, but not an enemy either. “An outcast in a group of outcasts.”

For almost two weeks, Mira had someone closely shadowing him, 24-7. And as he started doing whatever small jobs around the camp that he could find, including going out with the hunting and foraging parties, his guard detail slowly ceased. He still retained his knives, but no other weapon was offered, and he didn't push the issue.

Strangely enough, the most persistent of his shadows was a skinny little kid with a long mop of brown hair, who never uttered a sound. Always just floating somewhere in the background, until his gaze would settle on the shadow, and the figure would melt away. Whoever it was never got close enough to him to identify. That definitely keep him on edge.

Tim was given a bed in one of the communal tree houses, along with four other Sixer males. They were a sullen bunch, never talking in front of him, other than to tell him what duties he had the next day.

It had taken time for the injury from the “Komodo dragon” dinosaur to heal, and the strength to return to his leg. He still had a slight limp and tightness in the muscles, even up to the night he managed to carry Deborah Tate from the camp after being contacted by Commander Taylor's other spy in the camp.   
Tim grinned, more like a mole. When the Commander had told him who it was, he had about fell over in shock; in fact he had sat there for a minute with his mouth hanging open. Taylor had grinned at him, hands on his hips, proud as peacock. Then he had threatened to hang him by his heels over a slasher nest, if he ever told anyone. Even after he was back in Terra Nova, Commander Taylor made it absolutely clear; no one else was to know. Only if something happened to him, and he also gave him a short list of who to tell. Curran could have guessed it before he told him. Lt Washington, Shannon, Lt Guzman, Sgt Carter, Sgt Reynolds and Sgt Riley. For now though, Curran was the only one that knew, other than Taylor and the mole. 

However, Lt Washington was going to strangle the Commander when she found out about the whole incident. Curran with a quick grin, and then hoped he was on the other side of Terra Nova when that happened. 

Some of the Sixers had left Mira and joined Terra Nova, mostly women and kids, with some of the men who were tired of the Phoenix Group. Curran could only deduct that the individual was still with Mira's group, and he would keep the information to himself. He actually felt some pride in knowing that this was something that Commander Taylor trusted him, and only him, with. Yes, he would die before betraying the Commander again, or Terra Nova.

A group of runners, a squad of new trainees being herded by two corporals, appeared charging around the bend ahead, and he decided to head home. A quick shower, then breakfast and then well, he would see. He had to find something to fill in the day, that didn't fall in the category of military duties or work. Aaarrrugghh, he was going to go crazy before the day was over.

He pulled his tags out from under his shirt, as he ran in place. It was 7:00 am. He decided on grabbing something to take home to eat, before heading home, as he was in the area of the marketplace. As he walked a couple of circles around the market place, cooling down as he made his decision.  
He made his purchase, and turned to head home. Then a quick movement caught his attention, a small form, bent, moving quickly from behind one of the tents, arms crossed tightly in front, headed towards the botanical gardens, dark hair streaming out behind. 

All his senses on full alert, Curran thought, "what the hell?' and started in that direction catching another glimpse as the figure made another cross over the path, obviously trying to be inconspicuous, and failing miserably.

Tim's hand automatically reached for his communicator and then he realized it wasn't there. He caught a glimpse of a uniform, it was Cpl. Dunham. Curran went up to him, and told him what he saw. As they took off together, Dunham contacted the control center, and Sgt. Reynolds answered. Dunham was following Curran and relayed what they had, as they tried to catch up with the small form scurrying down the path to the garden.

"Be careful, and keep me informed," Reynolds ordered. "I have backup on the way." At the entrance to the botanical gardens, they stopped trying to determine which way to go. Cpl. Dunham stopped on his left, and they checked the immediate area. Dunham stopped, and motioned to one of the gazebo's near the entrance. As they neared the structure, they heard a small, childish voice chattering away.

"And this time, no one is going to take you away. You may not be my Boxer, but you, I am going to keep and take care of, forever and ever. I love you, Henry." There was a small giggle from the child, and followed by a chirping squawk. Both men froze and looked at each other in surprised amazement. Curran stepped up closed, with Dunham on his heels, and peered inside.

On the floor was a small human child, of the female persuasion, laying on her stomach. Her back pack was open in front of her, revealing a small red and purple stripped dinosaur, the size of a hamster. It's small tail wagging, it was chirping happily in between bites of apple that the child was feeding it. Both were totally unaware of their audience, and continued their conversation. The little dinosaur, Henry if you please, chomping on the apple and chirping as the child talked and giggled happily.

Hearing footsteps coming up behind them, Curran backed up, pulling Dunham with him. Dunham looked at him, "You do know who that is, right?" Curran nodded and turned to the see who was coming up behind him. He took a huge breath of relieve. It was Sgt. Reynolds, with two other soldiers. Better him than Curran or Dunham, having to deal with this situation.

Reynolds came up to them, his face serious. "What was it, who was it?" Dunham grinned, "I'm out of here. You guys can handle this; I'll take the Control Center, Reynolds. By the way, where is Mr. Shannon?" and he took off, dragging the other soldiers with him.

Mark looked at Curran, confusion on his face. Curran put one finger up to his lips, and motioned for him to come with him. Still puzzled, Mark followed, and then froze as he heard the child's voice. Slowly, recognition settled on his face. He groaned and put his hand up to his face as Tim grinned. Mark stood there for a minute, taking in the scene in front of him. Then he spoke.

"Zoe Shannon, what are you doing out here, and why are you not at home? And why do you have that dinosaur?"


	3. Ms Zoe and Henry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Ms Zoe and her best friend, Henry

Miss Zoe and Henry

Zoe Shannon was currently displaying her most disarming face, large soulful brown eyes peering upwards over a slightly pouting lower lip. All the while one could actually see the little wheels in her head spinning as she tried to figure the best way out of the current predicament she was in. Her tiny little partner in crime, Henry, peeked over her shoulder, chirping inquiringly, as the juicy apple slices disappeared from his reach.

A reluctant grin was jerking at the corner of Curran's mouth, and as he ducked his head, he shot a quick glance at Reynolds. He too was trying to keep a straight face, taking in the adorable picture in front of him. Mark took a deep breath, and put on a serious face as he faced the little girl. Curran was not that composed yet, so he just listened as he tried to stifle his laughter.

"Zoe, do your parents or Maddy, or Josh, know where you are?" Mark asked quietly, not wanting to frighten the child.

"No", she admitted, looking down at the floor of the gazebo. "Dad and Mummy went to work; Maddy is at the lab with Dr. Wallace. Something bad happened and she had to go there before breakfast." She hesitated, "Josh is still at home. He is going to walk me to school this morning."

"Does he know where you are right now, Zoe?" Mark asked.

She shook her head, "No, I snuck out. He was in the kitchen getting my breakfast. I told him I had to get my backpack. I went out the side door, after I got Henry."

Mark shook his head, his face showing his disbelieve. "And should I even ask if your family knows about Henry?"

Zoe's lip quivered even more, "Mark, do you have to tell them?"

Curran lost all pretence of a straight face, and was snorting as he turned away from the gazebo, and attempting to cover up his laughter.

The little dinosaur, evidently picking up on Zoe's distress, and was giving Tim and Mark a definitely suspicious look, the little chirps from earlier, now deeper and carrying a warning note. It had climbed into Zoe's lap, and was rubbing its head along her arm, as if to comfort her. Henry turned towards Reynolds and Curran, giving them a glare and a squawk, as if issuing a warning.

Mark threw his hands up, "Great, now she has a dinosaur for a bodyguard," he said in disgust. Curran lost control and leaned against the gazebo, laughing uncontrollably.

Mark threw him a stern look. "You are not helping here," he muttered, as he activated his comm link. "Reynolds to Command, come in".   
Private Dunham answered, "Command here, go ahead Sgt. Reynolds." There was a hint of laughter in Dunham's voice, and Mark gave the comm link a dirty look, setting Curran off again.

"Reynolds to Dunham, see if you can locate either Mr. Shannon or Dr. Shannon. Advise them of the situation and my location. Over."

"Already made contact with Dr. Shannon, she is on the way. Mr. Shannon is also on the way, he's coming in from the weapons range with Commander Taylor. Uh, hold on Reynolds, Josh Shannon just came in." It was quiet for a few minutes, and Dunham was back on the comm link. "Josh is on his way, too. Over." 

"Roger, Reynolds clear. Over and out."

"If you could pull yourself together anytime soon, it would be a great help," Mark snarled at Tim, who waved a hand at him weakly.

"Okay, I'm okay," Curran wiped his face with his hand, and pulled his tags from under his shirt. "I have to get a picture of this." He stepped up to the gazebo, and smiled at Zoe. She smiled back, but warily, her dark eyes meeting his as she was securing her hold on Henry.

"Hello Miss Zoe, my name is Tim. I work with Sgt. Reynolds. May I take a picture of you and your friend?" he asked. She cocked her head sideways as she thought, and then smiled her famous "Z" smile at him. "Sure," she said.   
Tim felt himself smiling back, as Mark snickered beside him. "She's got another follower." Tim took a couple of snapshots of Zoe and Henry, and was tucking his tags back under his shirt, when approaching footsteps could be heard rushing up the path from the market.

Curran shot a grin at Mark, "Well buddy, I'm out of here. My day off and all," and turned to leave.   
"Oh no, you don't," Mark grabbed his arm. "You started this, you stay till it's finished."   
"What?," Curran's mouth fell open. "I didn't start anything." He squinted at Reynolds suspiciously, and smirked. "Unless you need back-up, buddy." Mark looked at him inquiringly. "Sheriff Shannon?"

Mark frowned, "Whatever, we'll decide what to call it later. You are staying, and I'll make it an order if I have to."  
Tim threw up his hands, "Okay, okay, it's not like I have anywhere to be today anyways."

Mark turned to face whichever parent was reaching the scene first. His relieve was plainly evident, as it turned out to be Dr. Shannon and Josh. He raised a hand to slow their rush, and put a quick finger to his lips. He looked at Curran and nodded towards Zoe, as he meet with Dr. Shannon to reassure her of her daughter's safety, and what had transpired. 

Tim eased over to the gazebo, and took in the forlorn look on the little girl's face.

She had her little dinosaur tucked under her chin, and was whispering to it sadly. Tim was surprised to see the little creature respond by actually rub its head against her. He briefly wondered what kind of dinosaur it was, as it fit none of the photographs he had seen, or even the one that he had first hand knowledge of.

She glanced up at him, tears in her eyes. "I guess he'll have to leave too." Curran shook his head, "I don't know Miss Zoe, that's not up to me." Desperate to keep the tears at bay, he groped for what to say. Talking to little kids wasn't something he was good at, much less a little girl. 

"Where did you find him?" Zoe shrugged, and looked guilty. Curran was puzzled. "I know you didn't go OTG, now did you?" he teased. She giggled, "No, that's silly." 

She cocked her head at him, "Why are you calling me Miss Zoe? My name is just Zoe."

Uh, oh! Tim thought, what do I say now? His eyes fell on Reynolds, still talking to Dr. Shannon, and he was struck with a sudden inspiration. He turned back to Zoe, and smiled. "Well now, this is our first meeting, and manners are very important. You are a young lady, just as beautiful and smart as your mom and your sister, so until you tell me different, it's Miss Zoe." Not to mentioned, her dad was Jim Shannon. Tim shuddered at the thought.

Tim held his breath while waiting for Zoe to think it over; she must think I'm a nut case. But Zoe just smiled and nodded, "But what do I call you? Mr. Tim?" He let his breath out slowly, "that will be fine."

She glanced at him and smiled, "Do you want to pet Henry, Mr. Tim?" she offered, holding the little creature out towards Tim. Tim and the little dinosaur regarded each other with a cautious look, neither really appearing ready to be friends. 

"I think I'll pass right now, Miss Zoe. Henry has had a big morning, let's not upset him any further". Apparently, Henry agreed with him, and when Zoe set him back into her lap, he gave Tim a warning look and a chirp, tucked his head under her arm, and promptly went to sleep.

"That thing is definitely creepy", he thought to himself. Curran glanced over at Reynolds and Dr. Shannon, and wondered why it was taking so long for Reynolds to explain what was going on.

"I suppose Dr. Wallace's going to be mad at me too." Zoe muttered under her breath.

Curran looked at her, "And why is that?" "Because I took Henry from his lab," she admitted. "Again." 

Curran's eyebrows shot up and he gave a low whistle. This whole thing was getting more interesting by the minute. "You've done this before?" he asked. "Well, I tried to, but Mum and Dad caught me the first time," She grinned up at Tim. "It was a different dinosaur. His name was Boxer, and he had to go live with his family. I got Henry while he was still an egg, too." She looked down at the tiny creature in her lap and frowned. "I don't think he is the same kind of dinosaur as Boxer. Maddy will know. I'll ask her."

"Exactly how long have you had him, Miss Zoe?" "Three days, he hatched two days ago." 

Tim's jaw dropped. Dr. Wallace was going to have a hissy fit, literally.

"He's a really good dinosaur, he was quiet and he slept in my backpack and everything." She tucked her head down, "Today, he just wanted to play outside. Now I might have to give him back, and Dr. Wallace will want to put him outside in the jungle, by himself and he's so small. I don't even know if his family is nearby. " Tim felt his heart tighten at the little girl's fears.

He heard the footsteps approaching from behind them, and gave her a quick warning, "Heads up, Miss Zoe. We have company."

Dr. Shannon moved up to stand next to Curran, "Hello Tim, how have you been?" Dr. Shannon had been one of the first civilians to accept Curran's return back to Terra Nova, along with Deborah Tate, who treated him like he was some sort of hero. While he was grateful for the two women being so welcoming, and civil, he knew that he had only done what a soldier was suppose to do. He had been tasked with recovering Deborah Tate, which he had done. The fact that he had been able to secure the medicine that the Sixers' had been using to treat Sincyllic fever that was an added bonus.

"I'm fine, ma'am." "Thank you for finding her." "No problem." Elisabeth Shannon turned to her daughter and gave her a firm, but loving look. 

"Zoe Shannon, look at me please." Dr. Shannon spoke quietly, but firmly to her daughter’s downcast head.

Zoe looked up at her mother, lip quivering and tears running down her cheeks, and tightened her hold on her pet. Curran was surprised, where had all those tears came from? 

"Young lady," she scolded softly, "What have your father and I told you about keeping dinosaurs? And where on earth did you get this one?" Zoe shot a guilty look at Curran, and muttered something under her breath. Her mother looked at him too, confusion on her face. "Curran, did you give Zoe the…?" her voice trailed off.

"Oh no, ma'am! No, no way," Tim shook his head, a hint of panic in his voice.

Zoe's head shot up, "No mummy, I did it. I took Henry from … from the lab." Zoe's head went back down, her hand stroking Henry's back slowly.

Dr. Shannon nodded, "I see. Then this was the source of Malcolm's urgent search of the lab last night and this morning." Elizabeth shut her eyes, and sighed. "Henry, oh dear, she named it."  
About that time, a rover came tearing up to the entrance of the gardens; Jim Shannon and Commander Taylor jumped out and rushed up the walkway. Dr. Shannon placed her hand on Curran's arm, "Please stay here for a minute and talk to her, while I speak to Jim and the Commander." 

He nodded, and as Elizabeth left, he was joined by Mark and Josh Shannon.

Josh leaned over the railing and looked at his sister, "Hey Z," he said softly. "You really scared me taking off like that." The worry on his face was still evident. "I was afraid that you were going to get hurt."

Zoe lifted her face, tear stains on her cheeks. Curran heard Josh catch his breath. "Aw Z, don't cry." Josh came around to the opening, and bent down to his sister. Too late, Reynolds and Curran tried to warn him about Henry. The little dinosaur whirled around at the sound of Josh's voice so close, hissed and started chattering and squawking at him, all the while jumping up and down on Zoe's lap.

Josh jumped back, startled as Zoe attempted to quiet the animal down.

"Whoa, what the heck is that?" Josh asked, astonished. Curran and Reynolds were both trying not to laugh at Josh's reaction.

"You scared him," she fussed at her brother, after Henry had somewhat calmed down, and was now crunching away on another apple slice she had found in her pocket.

"I scared him? What about me?" Josh asked. Josh glanced behind them, "Uh-oh, here comes Dad and Commander Taylor, with Mom."

Reynolds stepped back, and pulled Curran with him. "Commander Taylor," he addressed his commanding officer. "Sir, if we are no longer needed, I need to get back to the Command Center," he paused. Taylor shook his head, "Hold on for a minute, both of you." 

He watched as Jim and Elizabeth slowly approached their daughter and began speaking softly to her. He grinned and shook his head. The Shannon family was definitely not boring, and had added spice to life daily since arriving in Terra Nova. 

He glanced at the two soldiers in front of him.   
"Okay, Dunham gave us the short version on the radio. What happened? Curran, you go first." He nodded for him to start. 

Keeping their information short and concise, Curran and Reynolds briefed Taylor on what had happened, from Curran's first glimpse of Zoe trying to sneak through the marketplace, till his arrival.   
When they had finished, Taylor had a smile trying to break on his face. "Well, let me go see the source of all this commotion." He stopped and turned towards Reynolds. "Has Dr. Wallace been notified yet?" Reynolds shook his head, "Not by me, sir. We just found out were she obtained the, uh Henry from, so Dunham doesn't know that the lab was the source."

Taylor nodded, "Good, I'm going with Shannon and the Doc to let Wallace know his lab has not been invaded by Phoenix spies. This time, at least." He nodded at them, "Good job, both of you. Curran, isn't this your off day?"

Curran nodded, "Yes sir."

Commander Taylor grinned at him, "So, you see all the excitement you would have been missing, standing in the Towers? Dismissed you two, and again good job." He strode away, leaving Reynolds and Curran gaping after him.

Reynolds shook his head, "I have to get back to the Command Center." His eyes narrowed a bit. "Need to have a chat with Private Dunham about communication procedures."

Curran started laughing, "You sound just like Lt. Washington."

Mark smiled, "Thanks, I think." He looked at Curran, and was suddenly serious. "How are you doing, Tim? Can you walk with me to the Command Center? We haven't had a chance to talk in a couple of days."

Curran shrugged, and fell into step beside Reynolds. "It's about the same, with all the crazy nightmares and no sleep. I would like just one night of sleep, no nightmares" he said quietly. "Actually, after our talk in the gym that night, I have notice that the nightmares don't last as long." He admitted.

"Have you been to see Dr. Shannon, to see if she can give you something so you can sleep?" Mark asked.

Tim shook his head, "No, not yet." Mark stopped walking, so he was forced to do so too. "Why not, Tim?" he asked. Curran ducked his head, and didn't answer. Mark studied him for a minute. "Tim?"  
Curran looked up, his eyes suddenly desperate, "Because, I'm afraid that I won't be able to wake up from the nightmares, okay." He let his breath out in a hiss, his chest tightened in pain and the scenes from his dreams rushed from behind the wall he tried to keep up during the day. "All the extra shifts, and working out. They help keep me occupied, keep my mind busy, so I can .. so I can" his voice trailed off.

"Forget?" Mark offered.

Curran shook his head, almost violently. "No! Not forget, I'll never forget!" He took a deep breath, seeming to realize where they were. "Just to cope, I guess."

Mark was concerned, "Look Tim, as your friend, I am tell you, you need sleep. You look like Lt. Washington gave you a shiner on both eyes. How long has it been since no nightmares and you had sleep?" he asked. "Are you getting any sleep before they start?"

Curran had his eyes focused on the ground, "Since the day it happened." He admitted. His gaze locked on Mark's. "And I usually get about three maybe four hours, of sleep before they start, once I fall asleep."

Mark's jaw was hanging open. "But that's been months ago…How the hell are you even standing right now?" He gave a sharp nod at Tim as he came to a decision.

"Okay, here are your choices Tim. As your friend, I am telling you, go home take a shower, and go straight to the infirmary to see Dr. Shannon and only Dr. Shannon. You tell her what is going on; she will keep it under wraps." Mark hesitated. "Just to be on the safe side, when I get to the Command Center, I am calling her myself. I’ll have to give her some time to sort Zoe and Henry out first. And you will do what she tells you to do. Understand?"

Curran started to protest, but Mark cut him off. "Tim, if I knew it had been that long since you had slept, I would have dragged your sorry butt down there myself. You are hurting yourself, and by not seeing the doctor, you are putting others in danger. Your reflexes slow down, and your awareness and your decision making. You know this. Damn it, Curran! Washington would kick you into next month if she knew. Now, are you going, or do I have to make this an order?"

Curran nodded, "Okay, I'll go." 

"Damn right you will," Mark fumed. Curran hesitated, "Can I asked you something without you blowing a gasket?"

Mark was still a little hot under the collar. "What?"

"What is my other choice?" Mark gave him an evil look, blue eyes blazing. "Simple, I hit the comm link, have Lt. Washington meet us here, and she can handle it."

Tim shuddered, "I'm going!" He gave Mark a glare back. "Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome," Mark snapped back. They stood there eyeing each other, and then starting laughing.

Mark clapped him on the shoulder, "Come on."

Curran looked at him, "There is one thing good about today."

"What's that?"

"Thanks to Miss Zoe and Henry, I have laughed more today than I have in a long time. I swear, that little face is priceless."

Mark looked at him, "Miss Zoe?" Curran smiled at him, "Borrowed that from you, buddy. And from the courting and the respect for women classes that Commander Taylor gave us."

Mark laughed, "See, it does work."

They were coming up to the Commander Center, and about to part. Mark gave him a warning look. "Straight to the infirmary, after you take a shower." Curran gave him a snippy look, and started to reply. At that time, Reynolds comm link crackled, and Cpl. Dunham's voice came spilling out, excited and rushed.

Curran rolled his eyes at Mark, who gave a long suffering sigh as he answered. "Reynolds to Dunham, I'm just down the street. What is the problem?" he asked, knowing how excited Dunham got sometimes.

"We just got a transmission from Outpost 5, and they had received an urgent message from Outpost 9. Outpost 9 had some bad weather, and their communications had been down for a couple of days." Dunham had to stop to catch his breath.

Outpost 5 was a scientific manned post, a little over 6-8 hour drive away, depending on the weather and the dinosaur traffic. Outpost 9 was the farthest manned outpost; it took about a week to ten days to reach it. It had just been recently re-manned after the Phoenix Group's attempted take over.

Reynolds and Curran both looked other, puzzled. Mark keyed up his comm link, "Dunham, what was the message?"

"It's Lt. Guzman and his squad! They are on their way back to Terra Nova. They left Outpost 9 two days ahead of the storm." Mark and Tim exchanged surprised looks. 

Mark could hear the excitement in Dunham's voice. He hit his comm link, "I'll be right there. Have you informed the Commander or Lt. Washington yet?"

"No, Sergeant. I still have Outpost 5 on, and Lt. Washington is at the range overseeing advanced weapons training."

"Okay, Dunham. Get what information you can from them, have one of your runner start a track on the rhinos, and the rovers Lt. Guzman took with him, and pull up the roster of all the soldiers and the civilians that went with him, and run a trace on all of their ID tags. See if we can get a fix or hit or anything off them. I'll contact Commander Taylor and be right up. Where's Sgt. Riley?"

"Will do, Sergeant! Sgt. Riley is at the range with Lt. Washington. Sgt Reynolds?"

"Go ahead, Dunham."

"Outpost 5 said that Lt. Guzman has been briefed on all that happened since he left, so he will be keeping an eye out for anything suspicious."  
"Good job, Dunham. One more thing, check with them and see if Lt. Guzman passed on any information on any casualties, equipment loss, see if his radios in the vehicles are working, that sort of thing, so we can brief the Commander when he gets there."   
"We are working on that list now, Sergeant."   
They headed towards the Commander Center at a much faster pace.

Curran looked at Mark, "If he still has Outpost 5 on the line, can they reach the guard or anyone at the range complex?"

The communication links still had some bugs to be worked out, and the lines actually able to be used were limited. A lot more repair work still had to be done before all the communication stations were fully operational.

Mark shook his head, his hand reaching for his comm link again. He looked at Curran, who nodded. 

"Already on my way," he said. Mark grabbed his arm, and pointed to the motorcycle at the foot of the Command Center. Curran grinned and jumped on the motorcycle. As he gunned it, he heard Reynolds talking to Commander Taylor on the comm link. Reynolds held up his hand for him to wait, and after acknowledging the Commander, came over to him.

"Remember, after range, home, shower, Dr. Shannon in that order." Reynolds yelled over the motorcycle. 

Curran nodded and headed towards the range, so much for his day off


End file.
